999 crews see calls increase

AMBULANCE crews who serve Belper have reported unprecedented call-outs over the Christmas and New Year period.

East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) said that December saw an increase of 40 per cent on the number of call-outs from the previous year.

On one particular day, December 28, the number of calls was up 60 per cent from the same day in 2009.

New Year’s Eve was also particularly busy for EMAS. In the 48 hours to midnight on New Year’s Day — the period which includes the New Year’s Eve celebrations — the service took 1,774 calls, which was up 33 per cent on 2009.

A large number of calls were for respiratory or flu-like illnesses and chest pains, as well as an increase in people who celebrated the New Year a little too generously.

Meanwhile, police said there were no reported skirmishes in Belper on New Year’s Eve, but they did receive calls about loud music.

A spokeswoman said they received reports of a “massive fight” near Market Place. She added: “But it was just a little argument.”